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Empower

This is a five year lottery funded project and aims to support families in the Magherafelt and Antrim areas. The focus of this project is to support children under 12 with Autism, Dyslexia and Dyspraxia, their parents and the wider family circle to enhance confidence and learn together to develop skills to support their children. All organised events and information sessions will be posted on Riverside's online web calendar.

Information Line

The Empower project has a dedicated Information line which you can telephone to access information on local groups and projects that can support you and your family. The information line researches what organisations and groups are available at a local level to help and support.

The Information line is staffed by the Project Lead partner, DADS: Dyslexia and Dyspraxia support and is a point of contact for families and organisations wishing to provide assistance to those with Autism, Dyslexia and Dyspraxia.

Through the information line you can discuss your needs and shape the provision offered through the empower project.

To contact the information line, which is based in Magherafelt call Josie: 02895816852

Empower Summer Scheme

4.7.16-8.7.16

Empower, a lottery funded initiative have teamed up with Riverside School in order to run a pilot summer scheme for one week. The focus of the project was to support children under 12 with Autism, Dyslexia and Dyspraxia, their parents and the wider family circle to enhance confidence and learn together to develop skills to support their children. This pilot scheme was offered to J1 and J2 pupils and their siblings and run by experienced Riverside staff. As not all pupils had siblings, Riverside were able to offer two places to pupils from St Joseph's Nursery school and two places to pupils from Steeple Nursery School through links that had been previously been established between pupils during the Shared Education Signature Project. (See Community Section). This cross community and cross sector project has helped build relationships between parents, staff and pupils within the local community offering a wide range of fun, appropriate and engaging activities to pupils and will hopefully return next year. The pupils got to take part in Glow in the Dark bowling and Caveman Capers at Antrim Forum, visited and played in the local play park, engaged in fun learning games and dances, took part in sensory activities in Riverside's state of the art sensory room and much more. A very busy and enjoyable week had by everyone!